The United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed concern over the ongoing insecurity
in the conflict-ridden North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), where clashes have escalated in recent months
between Government and renegade forces.

OCHA reported
that civilians continue to be harassed by men in uniform and homes are
looted.

The views expressed are based on the
author's experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mainly in
the eastern areas, the provinces of North and South Kivu and Ituri. The
author argues that the United Nations peacekeeping mission in DRC is, by
all means, an operation based on human security, with a mandate reflecting
the evolution of international practice in the field of peacekeeping, peace-building
and conflict prevention.

I am writing with reference to the letter
from the President of the Security Council addressed to the Secretary-General
dated 31 May 2006 (S/2006/354), in which the Security Council informed
your predecessor about the establishment of an ad hoc committee on mandate
review to conduct the review of Security Council mandates called for by
the Heads of State and Government in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document
(A/60/1) and to continue consideration of the recommendations contained
in the report of the Secretary-General entitled "Mandating and delivering:
analysis and recommendations …

The year 2007 ends in DRC with a series
of successes in the road towards stabilization overshadowed by the remaining
challenges that have dominated the year in the aftermath of the country's
first democratic elections.

The Country Assistance Framework (CAF) is a process by which a number of donors have developed a common strategic approach for economic assistance to Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the post-elections period. The CAF is derived from the priorities articulated in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and covers the period 2007 to 2010. It is expected that it will provide a solid basis for harmonizing approaches and programmes.

This map shows earthquake intensity zones in accordance with the 1956 version of the Modified Mercalli Scale (MM), describing the effects of an earthquake on the surface of the earth and integrating numerous parameters such as ground acceleration, duration of an earthquake, and subsoil effects. It also includes historical earthquake reports.

The ICRC has begun a distribution of essential
items - clothing, blankets, mats, soap and kitchen sets - to over 500
displaced families who have taken refuge in South Kivuafter fleeing the
fighting in the neighbouring provinceof North Kivu. The distribution is
being carried out together with the Red Cross Society of the Democratic
Republic of the Congoin the towns of Chebumba and Kitembo, some 50 km north
of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. It will be supplemented by food parcels
delivered by the World Food Programme.

The preparatory work of the conference
on peace, security and development in the Kivus was officially opened on
Thursday 27 December 2007 in Goma by IEC president and conference coordinator
Fr. Malu Malu. It also marked the beginning of a public awareness campaign
for the conference which is scheduled from 6-14 January 2008.